224 pages; No photographs or
sketches. Hardcover
Published by Harper Collins, NY, NY, January 2003
Reviewed by Jim Hanley, Spring 2003
I was a little suspicious of a cookbook covering just
soup, particularly one that didn t have the numerous bright, colorful
pictures that attract me to cookbooks.
Soup of the Day, by Lydie Marshall is all business soup
business that is. Like soup
making, Lydie s recipes are straightforward, easy to follow, and lightly
peppered with chef s notes and variation suggestions, which help
out the novice and round out the accomplished cook.

I made the classic French Leek and Potato soup as
well as Pappa al Pomodoro (Italian tomato and bread soup.) They were both easy to make and quite tasty.
Pappa al Pomodoro was a particularly big hit at a foodie
party that I held in which everyone demanded the recipe.

The chapters in the back on salad and breads are nice
accompaniments to the almost 100 soup recipes, yet I found the desserts
chapter to be a bit misplaced. In
general, the recipes were more about inspirational cooking and less about
exacting science, which I found appropriate for soup cookery.
But most importantly, they were accurate and resulted in excellent
soup.

As an Italian-food and hearty-food lover, Pappa al
Pomodoro caught my eye instantly when flipping through the book.
Since it was February in New England, I decided to go the canned
route to ensure ripe, flavorful tomatoes.
I followed the recipe to the letter, which is not my typical modus
operandi in the kitchen, and made a fabulous soup evidenced by the critics
at my foodie dinner party. Everything came together as expected with no surprises
this is soup of course.

I made the soup in the morning and after cooling
placed it in the refrigerator for the day, and then served it that night.
The holding time mellowed everything nicely, and I was thrilled
that the bread held up as well as it did (gentle stirring and reheating
was crucial.) Unfortunately,
there was no leftover soup to try Lydie s tomato custard variation
suggested on the recipe page. Next
time it will have to be a double batch